Bapuji, a socialist, took an active part in the armed struggle against the Nizam government of then Hyderabad State.

He resigned as minister in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet in 1969 to join the movement for separate statehood to Telangana.

The veteran leader had also observed a seven-day fast in Delhi late last year to press the demand for Telangana state and had threatened to go on indefinite fast to achieve the goal.

He alongwith several intellectuals and freedom fighters from Telangana had floated a front last year to intensify the Telangana movement.

He differed with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and other political parties fighting for a separate state and had launched a series of meetings with leaders from the Andhra region to convince them to agree for bifurcation of the state.